


Supercat Pride Month Ficlets

by SapphicScholar



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-14 05:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19266844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicScholar/pseuds/SapphicScholar
Summary: Imported from Tumblr: a series of shorter Supercat fics (prompts and ratings given for each individual chapter)





	1. Storm (G)

Lightning lit up the sky, reflecting, dazzling bright, along the soaked city streets for a long moment before darkness descended again. Several seconds later, thunder rumbled through, shaking the walls of the townhouse.

Muttering obscenities about DC weather and DC humidity and DC power grids that couldn’t handle the storms that seemed to roll through every damn day in the summer, Cat followed her phone’s flashlight down to the kitchen for the large box of matches. From there, it was a matter of minutes to walk from room to room, lighting candles and trying to ignore the clashing scents, dispersing them as best she could. Light flickered along the walls, casting shadows that seemed to follow Cat around the property, fluttering out from around corners and dancing up walls behind her.

 _Just a trick of the light_ , she repeated to herself like a mantra. It didn’t do much. Lexapro and bourbon were much more effective, even though both seemed to be failing her at the moment. The knowledge that Leslie was safely locked up across the country was the only thing keeping her from reaching for the emergency stash of Xanax stowed away in the back of her nightstand behind a few stress relievers that were decidedly more…fun. Of course, the panicky little voice in the back of her head reminded her, she didn’t have any recent confirmation that Leslie was  _still_  securely locked up, and anything could happen, especially during the days of storms and rolling blackouts that had been sweeping across the country.

A knock at the door nearly sent Cat into the air. Not that she really thought Leslie would knock, but still it was–she checked her watch–nearly midnight, and she had no power and no wifi to make her feel more secure. So she grabbed the poker from the fireplace and her phone, took one more fortifying swig of bourbon, and marched down to the front door.

Only, it wasn’t a murderer or Livewire or Silver Banshee or any of her other former-employees-turned-supervillains come to kill her. No, it was a decidedly drenched superhero clad in an old NCU hoodie and jeans, clutching what appeared to be a trash bag in her arms and waving at Cat through the thick wood of the front door.

Cat swung open the door. “Kara.”

“Hi!” Kara waved, sending droplets of water flinging off her fingertips in Cat’s direction, before stuffing her hands into her pockets and ducking her head sheepishly. 

“Come in.” Stepping aside, Cat let Kara walk past her, dripping all over the entryway. “Just…hold still. I’ll get you something dry.”

“Thanks,” Kara called after her.

A few minutes later, Cat returned with a fluffy white towel, a pair of sweatpants that were a bit long on her, and a t-shirt saved for lazy days spent lounging around the house with Carter. “These should fit. No reason to drip all over the carpet.”

It only took Kara a few seconds to change and dry off, and she emerged from the guest bathroom looking significantly cheerier than she had standing in the pouring rain.

“Not that this isn’t a pleasant surprise, but is there a reason for the late night visit?”

“Oh.” Kara cleared her throat and pushed her glasses up her nose. “Well, I, uh, I heard about the storms here.”

Cat leveled her with a knowing stare. “There have been storms all week.”

“Right. But, um, I may have found out that you lost power in this one.”

“Spying on me, Supergirl?”

Kara rubbed at the back of her neck, but at least she’d given up the charade of pretending she and Supergirl were different people several months ago. “I wouldn’t call it spying. Maybe checking in on you. I figured it wouldn’t be bad for someone to stop in, see how you were, maybe mention that Leslie isn’t going to be dropping by unannounced anytime soon.”

“And a phone call wouldn’t have done?” Not that Cat was particularly upset with Kara’s arrival; in fact, between her presence and the news she brought about Livewire, it was the first time Cat had felt safe since the storms began. Still, being found and surprised at her most vulnerable moment wasn’t Cat’s favorite experience.

With a shrug of her shoulders and a small smile that made Cat’s heart beat a little faster, Kara gestured to what Cat could now confirm was, in fact, a garbage bag. “I happened to have a tin of Eliza’s homemade snickerdoodles and Scrabble lying around. Thought maybe you’d be up for a rematch. I even picked up a bottle of red wine you once deemed acceptable…”

“Well, if you’ve brought acceptable wine, I suppose I can’t refuse you, can I?”

Kara sent a beaming smile in Cat’s direction. “Definitely not.” With that, she tore away the soaked bag to reveal a perfectly dry backpack, stuffed with a variety of additional enticements, including a thing of M&Ms a laptop she assumed was likely fully charged; DVDs of Roman Holiday and Dirty Dancing, which she’d made the mistake of admitting was a guilty pleasure once many months ago; and a handful of candles that made seeing the Scrabble board and making out the tiles almost manageable. And, if they had to sit just a little bit closer to share the candlelight, well, neither of them were complaining.

By the time the power crackled back to life a little after 5 in the morning, Cat was sound asleep, curled under a fleece blanket with her head tucked into Kara’s shoulder, a half-empty bottle of wine and an abandoned game of Scrabble still laid out on the table in front of them. Even with the storm raging through the night, Cat would later swear it was the most relaxing sleep she’d had in years.


	2. Identity Shenanigans (T)

In all fairness, it had barely been two weeks. One unplanned (and perhaps ill-advised) evening spent breaking in every vaguely flat surface of Kara’s new office, followed by four days of avoidance, one long-overdue conversation about secret identities and feelings, three proper, albeit clandestine, dates, and two nights of near silent sex with Carter sleeping down the hall.

So the fact that Kara hadn’t gotten around to telling the sister and the rest of the shadowy government agency that Cat both knew her secret identity and regularly shared a bed with her, completely naked, was, perhaps, understandable.

Still, Cat found herself annoyed when the shapeshifter showed up at CatCo wearing Kara’s face and body and hideous poly-blend sweaters on Monday morning after Kara had kissed her goodbye and promised to be safe an hour ago after getting an urgent summons from her cousin to come help with an ongoing situation in Metropolis that would likely take a day or two to handle.

“Ms. Grant,” fake Kara greeted, nodding curtly before straightening up and walking quickly away from her. This time Cat saw the little signs she’d dismissed as awkwardness before. The military bearing that spoke of a learned precision. The clumsiness that came not from feigning normalcy and getting distracted while listening for the sounds of a population in distress in the distance, but from learning to navigate in a new body and a pair of strappy sandals that she’d already watched the imposter trip over twice. The fake’s jaw stayed clenched, and there were none of the easy smiles that Kara bestowed so readily, leaving a trail of cheer and broken hearts in her wake.

For most of the morning, she tried to forget all about it. Until she overheard fake Kara talking on the phone about how grateful they were not to have to deal with Cat this time around. And, fine, she knew she’d been a bit hard on Kara that day–though she’d started her morning off with a lukewarm whole milk latte, so really, could anyone blame her?–but Cat didn’t exactly appreciate hearing that she was the worst part of the office. Because really? It was her, not Snapper Carr or the horrendous break room coffee or the barely competent employees whose asses Cat knew Kara saved again and again in the lead up to deadlines? So, remembering what Kara had mentioned about the resident shapeshifter friend, Cat decided she could have a bit of fun. Anything to keep her from worrying about Kara, who hadn’t been in contact since a brief text confirming that she’d gotten to Metropolis safely and would reach out once they got things under control.

“Kiera!” Cat bellowed from her desk, watching as a ripple went through the office until word got to “Kara” that Cat needed her. As she watched the imposter come jogging through the halls–and dear god, didn’t Kara say this person was a friend? Had they ever  _seen_ the way Kara moved through the world?–she intentionally cleared her mind of thoughts of imposters and fakes and doubles, instead going through a laundry list of all the problems with the current issue that would need to be dealt with this week.

“Yes, Ms. Grant?”

“We’re going to lunch.”

“Um, what?”

Cat arched an eyebrow, making a point of projecting all the annoyance she could. “Were those four words too complex for you? I said, we’re going to lunch.”

“Right. But I…already ate.”

“You think I haven’t noticed how much you eat?”  _Though there are other things I’d rather have you eat…_  She barely hid her grin at the shock that flashed over the imposter’s face.

“I do enjoy many kinds of food,” the imposter announced, voice a bit too loud.

_And I would so enjoy letting you enjoy certain foods off my–_

“So, lunch!”

Cat gestured in front of her, letting her thoughts stray to Kara’s legs and Kara’s back and Kara’s ass and all the things she wanted to do to her to celebrate (probably) saving the world. Again.

Fake Kara tripped over their sandals. Again. Cat grinned. Maybe the day could be salvaged, after all.

—

It took the full day to clear things up in Metropolis, but the Daily Planet finally announced that their ragtag bunch of intergalactic invaders had been successfully quelled by the Super team. While Cat was showering away the stress of the day, she missed a series of text messages:

 **Kara:** All safe! Finally heading back. Can’t wait to see you!

 **Kara:** If it’s still okay for me to come over. Don’t wanna assume…

 **Kara:** Um…got a weird voicemail from my boss.

 **Kara:** Cat!! Did you hit on fake me?!

 **Kara:** Awkward conversations were had. My sister and my boss now know we’re dating.

 **Unknown Number:** If you hurt my sister, I will destroy you. Welcome to the family.


	3. Coming Out (T, maybe M)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have nothing against serious coming out arcs but generally enjoy them in long form, so enjoy this cracky one-shot based on a certain photo…

After months of making sure that things were in order—that Kara was settled in her new job with plenty of published articles that met the high standards required of CatCo reporters; that any and all friends and family members who might be approached for quotes had been informed and warned; that Carter was on board with both the relationship and the press that would follow when they stopped being so careful and quiet about it—Cat and Kara were finally ready to come out to National City. Cat had personally called and made a reservation for two at a small French bistro perpetually topping the list of most desirable date night spots in National City, and she and Kara had coordinated outfits so that they complemented one another without risking matchy-matchy territory.

On the night of, Cat arrived a few minutes after Kara, and Kara stood to help her out of her coat, smiling unabashedly as she whispered to Cat about how beautiful she looked. “With you as my date, I couldn’t risk anything less than perfection,” Cat murmured back, pressing a soft kiss to Kara’s cheek and squeezing her hand before sliding into her seat. Over dinner, they finally had the chance to relax in public, to lean into one another and share bites of their meals and cast adoring looks while the other wasn’t paying attention and even hold hands for a few moments before the dessert was served. The lack of fear about being caught and exposed was liberating, and Kara had to check a few times over the course of the evening to make sure that she was only metaphorically floating in air. At the end of the night, Cat paid for their meal, and they left the restaurant hand-in-hand before sliding into Cat’s waiting car one after another.

The next morning, the smallest spike of anxiety hit Kara as she pulled out her phone, holding her breath as she waited to see how many texts and voicemails would be waiting for her.

Oddly enough there were none. Or, well, one from Alex asking if she’d caught the latest episode of Veep, and something from Winn about buying a new railroad-themed board game, but certainly not the deluge she’d been expecting. Next up she checked the more reputable news sites. Nothing. Gossip pages. Still nothing. Twitter. A few links to blog posts about Cat Grant “and reporter” out to dinner at Michel’s, but nothing else. All in all, the whole thing was rather anticlimactic.

“Was last night not date-like enough?” Kara asked as she climbed back into bed.

Cat arched an eyebrow. “I took you out to a rather romantic restaurant for dinner and dessert last night, and here you are the next morning in my bed without any of your clothing. What part of a date is missing?”

“No, I mean, look.” Kara held up her phone. “No one even noticed us. Or cared.”

Cat let out a little hum. “I suppose it makes things easier.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess.”

“There will be plenty of occasions for the vultures to come find us, I assure you.”

“Right. You’re right.”

“Mmm, finally something I can agree with.” Kara rolled her eyes, but she didn’t resist when Cat curled a hand around her waist and pulled her back down to the pillows, and within a few minutes, she’d forgotten all about their apparently less-than-newsworthy news.

—

Over the next few weeks, Kara upped her romantic game. She showed up to their very public dates with flowers, which earned her a tweet about Cat not scaring off all of her former employees.

They took Carter to the zoo together and held hands, and a tabloid printed a photo and called her Carter’s nanny.

Cat kissed Kara—not on the cheek, but right on the mouth—and an online gossip site mentioned that Cat seemed to have a new gal pal she’d been seen with at all of National City’s most desirable restaurants and bars.

Kara showed up at a fancy party with Cat, who introduced Kara as her date to everyone they met, and the National City Inquirer’s society page included a small photo of them, Cat’s hand wrapped around Kara’s waist and Kara smiling over at her, with the caption: “Cat Grant and CatCo reporter Kara Danvers make the rounds at an exclusive fundraising event for National City’s Children’s Hospital. Inside sources suggest the two have become rather inseparable of late. Could the long-ruling Queen of All Media be thinking about what comes next? Should we be hailing Ms. Danvers the Crown Princess of All Media?”

Cat even accepted one of the invitations she normally sent straight to the shredder for the opening of some overly trendy new nightclub, dragging Kara up to the VIP lounge and letting plenty of partygoers catch a glimpse of them getting handsy on the dance floor and making out in their reserved but not quite private booth. Even the trashiest of tabloids could only summon up a small item about “Gal pals Cat Grant and Kara Danvers spotted getting cozy at the opening of Triomphe. Sources noted a mysterious older gentleman eying the single CEO. Could a sizzling summer romance be in the cards?”

Finally, after over a month of attempting to be public about their relationship only to be thwarted again and again by the press’ unwillingness to recognize anything potentially romantic or sexual happening between two women, a frustrated Cat texted Kara a link, along with the message: “Think this could be fun. Care to join me in picking it up after work on Friday? It’s your call.”

Kara blushed when she opened the link, but, remembering that Carter was leaving that Friday for a full week abroad with his father, sent back a single word: “Yes.”

On Friday, after changing into much more weekend-casual clothing, Cat drove them downtown to the LGBTQ-friendly sex shop that had opened to rave reviews and a few protests several months earlier. Until that point, all of Cat’s purchases had been conducted online and shipped to her in innocuous-looking brown boxes with a return address to some PO box that meant little to anyone snooping through her mail. This time, however, she’d opted for in-store pickup. Which is how she and Kara found themselves toting a sizeable box rather conspicuously labeled as containing a sex swing—“No need for a bag, thanks. Nope, no packaging either, really”—from the shop to the car, and then again from the car into the apartment complex, where a blushing, stammering Kara tried to shield as much of it as she could from the doorman.

They were finally getting to bed around the time the morning headlines broke, so it wasn’t until later that day that they found out they’d become overnight champions of “no shame sex positivity.” Though as to whether it was a relationship or just an experimental fling, well, apparently it was still “too soon to tell.”


	4. The Movies (G) - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yeah we’re playing fast and loose with dates by a couple of years…shh. It could have gone on longer, but this one was right at the initial length limit I’d set, so I kept it here. This is the only multi-part fic in this series, though it can stand alone too

**Alex:** I don’t think I’m gonna make it - so sorry! Things haven’t slowed down for days. Sister night soon to make up for it?

 **Kara:**  No worries! Yeah, maybe Tuesday?

 **Alex:**  Perfect. See you then

Kara looked down at the jumbo tub of popcorn in her lap and the two movie tickets she’d already purchased. She doubted she could return them at this point, and besides, she’d really wanted to see Carol before it left theaters the following week. With a shrug, she got up and walked back over to the ticket booth, knocking lightly on the glass.

The bored teenager glanced up from his phone, furrowing his brow at the sight of the same woman he’d sold tickets to less than five minutes ago. “Can I help you…again?”

“My friend isn’t going to make it. I wanted to see if I could leave this extra ticket here. I don’t know, pay it forward or whatever if someone else comes by for the same movie.”

“I guess. I don’t think there are any rules against it.” He didn’t look altogether convinced about the rules, but he also showed no signs of caring all that much about them either. Besides, the previews had already started a few minutes ago, and odds were no one else would show up that late.

After getting her ticket scanned, Kara hurried down the hall, pleased to find that the theater was largely empty after the first few weekends had been sold out. She grabbed a seat right in the middle of the back row—an old habit still ingrained in her after a teenaged Alex had explained that those were the only seats worth having, unless it was the fancy theater that was divided into sections, in which case the row with the railing where you could prop your feet up came in first place.

As she settled in, she focused on the screen and the speakers, letting the sounds of the city and the ticket booth and the snack stand fade away until all she could hear were the previews, the shrieks of the woman onscreen who clearly needed some kind of medical help. Kara felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of people in distress, but she knew that if the DEO needed her, they’d come through her earpiece. Otherwise, she was just another anonymous body in a theater.

By the end of the movie, she was damn glad to be nothing more than an anonymous body, having gone through 90% of the stack of napkins she’d grabbed from the snack stand while trying to wipe away tears and quietly—so quietly—blow her nose. She didn’t understand how some people were simply getting up after that final scene, leaving the theater, not completely rooted to their seats as they listened to the hauntingly beautiful strains of music still filling the room as the credits rolled.

By the time the lights came back on, Kara was fairly certain it was only her left until she heard a soft sniffle and spotted movement from a few rows in front of her. She could only see the top of a head covered in a hood, and a million and one possible scenarios ran through her head. Just coming out teenager getting their first moment of on-screen recognition? Bullied baby lesbian in need of a bit of comfort? Post-breakup patron? Either way, she figured they’d appreciate the handful of clean napkins she had left, so as she walked past, she barely paused as she dropped them into their lap.

“Thanks.”

But even through the slight stuffiness and the gravelly quality after a few hours of disuse, Kara would recognize that voice anywhere. “Ms. Grant?”

Teary green eyes blinked back at her. “Oh good.”

Trying not to flinch at the sarcasm positively dripping from the words, Kara managed a small smile. “Beautiful movie, wasn’t it?”

Cat shrugged, her attempt at nonchalance undercut by the dried tear tracks on her cheeks. “I’ve followed Todd’s work for decades and was at the film’s premiere months ago.”

“I guess maybe you knew what to expect, then. I bawled through the whole thing.”

Cat’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I didn’t realize you’d be so affected by such a movie.”

Kara shrugged, steeling her nerves slightly before she responded with a forced lightness to her tone: “I’ve got a bit of experience with women leaving me behind and acting like it’s for my own good.”

That small, bitter part of her she tried to hide from the world felt vindicated at the way Cat visibly flinched, but the rest of her wanted nothing more than to reach out, to apologize for further upsetting the woman who looked so small in a baggy sweatshirt, so sad with tears still staining her face.

“Perhaps next time you’ll pay a bit more attention to all the reasons Carol had for knowing that she wasn’t in the right place for Therese, that she could only destroy her if she stayed.” Before Kara could come up with an appropriate response, something along the lines of asking if now was the right time, Cat pushed herself up and out of her seat, rolling back her shoulders with a dignity that wasn’t in the slightest bit undercut by the casual attire. “I should be going. I hadn’t really planned on stopping for a movie after dropping Carter off with his father, but when I walked by to check showtimes, some pimply teenager told me this one would be free.” Cat’s eyes narrowed at the small gasp. “What? Surprised I have no plans on a Friday night?”

“No! No, not at all. I mean, hey, I’m here alone on a Friday night.”

“Yes…you are.”

“My sister cancelled last minute—couldn’t get away from work.” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “I didn’t know if anyone would be running late enough to claim the ticket I left behind, but”—she let a little of the Supergirl confidence settle over her—“I’m glad it was you.”


	5. Coffeeshop (G) - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the sequel to The Movies, the last chapter here. There may be a third part...we'll see how the other prompt words work

Cat sniffed quietly. “I suppose I should thank you for the ticket, then.”

“If you’re not busy, what about thanking me over a cup of coffee?” Catching sight of the raised eyebrow, Kara faltered for a moment before pushing on. “I mean, you know, it’d be good to catch up. And there’s a little café just three blocks away that serves the best pastries and espresso that’s up to your standards.”

After a long pause, Cat grabbed her bag and gestured in the direction of the exit. “Well go on then. I don’t have all night.”

Kara beamed. “I swear, they have a cinnamon chip scone that’ll blow your mind.”

“I believe Rob Lowe promised something similar, and yet life seems to be full of disappointments.” She bit back a smile at the sound of Kara stumbling behind her.

One short walk later, they arrived at a small café with furniture and mugs Cat was pleased to see weren’t all intentionally mismatched in that way that screamed, “We’re trying so hard to be quirky and unique!” Instead, the furnishings looked inviting, like a tasteful living room interspersed with wooden tables small enough to keep it from feeling like a coworking space.

“I’ll go order if you want to pick a seat,” Kara said, already heading up to the counter and ignoring Cat’s attempt to reach for her wallet to pay.

Cat ended up choosing one of the small sofas—she would  _not_  call it a love seat, no matter what the proper name for it was. If it reminded her a bit of the one in her old office where she’d spent many a late night sitting with Kara, increasingly impressed with her work ethic and her raw talent just waiting to be turned into something spectacular, well, she was a creature of habit in certain ways. A few minutes later, Kara returned with two steaming mugs carefully clutched in one hand and a plate with several pastries balanced on the other.

“I didn’t know what you were in the mood for, so I got all my favorites, plus a few things I think you’d like.”

Cat didn’t admit it, but everything smelled divine, and even though she didn’t make a habit of indulging in sweets she thought tonight she might make an exception. After all, she didn’t exactly make a habit of unplanned theater excursions or coffee dates with former assistants either.

Over coffee and pastries that ended up tasting just as good as they smelled, Cat let Kara ask her about traveling, about DC, about the White House, about her decision to leave, about why she was back in National City without having come back to CatCo yet. And, in turn, Cat slipped in her own questions, including a few about Kara’s more heroic duties, as well as her time reporting and mentoring Nia, the stories she’d most enjoyed working on, whether that boyfriend had ever come back from space (and nothing had quite prepared her for  _that_  story), how the fake-FBI agent sister was doing. For the first time since coming back from DC, Cat found herself actually relaxing with someone who wasn’t Carter. She let herself sink into the plush sofa, her eyes almost fluttering shut as she lost herself in the elaborate stories Kara wove for her with an eye for detail she’d watched Kara hone over the past couple years of reporting.

Eventually the barista began cleaning around them, collecting their empty plates and mugs, and finally letting them know that they’d closed half an hour ago and now that everything was cleaned up for the night, she really did need to ask them to leave.

Kara apologized profusely, and when she turned around, Cat slipped the woman a very generous tip, muttering a quiet, “Thank you for the extra time.”

The woman winked in return. “Don’t worry about it. Looked like a good date.”

A chair clattered to the ground, and a moment later a blushing Kara propped it back up, spouting apologies for her clumsiness.

As they exited the café, Cat found she wasn’t ready for the night to end. And god, that really did make this rather different from almost every other date she’d been on in recent memory. Not that it was a date. Just because Kara had paid for her movie ticket and her coffee and shared one of her favorite spots with her.

“Would you maybe want to walk for a bit? It’s a really nice night.”

Cat suspected she was nearing closer and closer to the woman who she’d sworn she’d stay away from, not wanting to corrupt someone so good and light with all the darkness that seemed to surround her, burning her once-good relationships past the point of recognition. But she couldn’t find it within herself to turn away again.

So instead, Cat nodded and gathered her things. And when they stepped outside into the cool night air, Cat let Kara take the lead.


	6. Fairytale (G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Not relationship focused, but includes a Supercat baby and talk/stories of them as a couple

“Alright, it’s almost bedtime. You know what that means, right?” Alex asked, her voice taking on the soft, higher-pitched quality that had made Winn trip in surprise in the little DEO hospital room when Kara had welcomed baby Amelia Astra Grant-Danvers—“You’ll always be a Zor-El too, even if we can’t put it on your official records”—into the world. Later, when she’d caught him trying to get a recording of her cooing to the baby in her arms, she’d turned to him and, voice still soft and sweet, whispered, “If you don’t put down that camera in the next two seconds, I’ll show you all the ways I can kill a man with my free hand and a rattle.” He’d run at that.

“Story time!” Amelia cried out, clapping her hands excitedly as she planted herself in Aunt Alex’s lap.

With the room bathed in a soft red glow, just enough to keep the little charge from accidentally killing her babysitter or hurting herself, Alex pulled out one of the many books from the shelves Kara had assembled but let Carter paint, which explained why they were covered in bright colors and cartoon-style action graphics and the House of El crest.

“Read that one last time.”

Alex let out a little huff of laughter, wondering how long the game would last this time.

After pulling out over a dozen books deemed “already read,” Alex gave up on her quest. “What if I tell you a story instead, huh? A nice fairytale.”

“My moms said I don’t need a prince to come rescue me.”

Alex bit her lower lip to keep from laughing when the girl was so serious, blinking up at Alex with those big blue eyes that no one could say no to. “They’re right. But I’m gonna tell you a different sort of fairytale.”

“Oh.” Amelia paused to consider it, forehead scrunching up in thought. “Okay.”

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful lady—”

“This sounds like all the other ones.”

Alex pursed her lips in mock annoyance. “Maybe if you’d let me get to the end you’d find out it’s different!” She booped Amelia’s nose with her fingertip, grinning at the small laugh it pulled from her.

“Okay, okay.”

“So where were we? Right, once upon a time there was a beautiful lady with long, dark hair and dark brown eyes that lit up whenever she smiled. She lived in a sunny kingdom ruled over by…by a very powerful queen with green eyes and wavy blonde hair.” She peeked down, watching as Amelia’s brow furrowed the smallest bit.

“Like me!”

Alex smiled at her. “Just like you. But the kingdom was a good place to live. People were happy. Kids got to run around and play in the summer and learn all sorts of important things during the year. And dogs always got to sleep in real beds.”

“Did you know,” Amelia whispered, a giggle forcing its way through, “that Gertie slept in bed with my moms when you and Aunt Maggie went away?”

Alex’s eyebrows shot up. “Did she now?” Because as far as she’d heard, Cat most definitely did not allow dogs in her bed—certainly not 90-pound mutts like Gertrude that had a bad habit of finding their way up to the pillows in the middle of the night.

“Mhmm. Mommy took pictures when she came home.”

And oh now that was even better news if Kara hadn’t been the one to secretly airlift the dog into the bed. “Do you know where we could find these pictures?” Cat had a birthday coming up, and Alex would be damned if she didn’t get her a nice cake with a photo of her and Gertrude curled up together printed on the icing.

“Her phone. More story now!”

Maybe next sisters night… “Okay. So the kingdom was a good place generally. But there was a fair maiden who was beloved throughout the whole kingdom. Only she had been dating a total jerk—”

Amelia gasped. “You said a bad word!”

“Sorry, she was dating a mean prince from another kingdom who wasn’t good enough for her. And too many people were distracted and didn’t notice until it was too late.” Amelia’s eyes widened in fear. “He came from an evil family, and in their kingdom only a few people were happy. Everyone else had to work to keep them happy, but they didn’t get to enjoy anything for themselves.”

“Even the kids?”

“Even the kids.”

“And the puppies?”

“Um… I don’t know if they had puppies. But probably them too.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. And so that king and queen showed up to the good kingdom to take back their son, the prince. Only the prince decided he didn’t want to go, so the king and queen came back with their whole army to take over the good kingdom and make it another evil kingdom!”

“What did the good queen do?”

Alex had to fight back a laugh at the memory. “Well, she called out to the evil queen and told her she wasn’t a real queen at all—not if she would let her people be so unhappy and try to take over another kingdom for no reason.”

“Did she win?”

“Well, not at first. The evil queen was so angry, so she sent people to go get the good queen.”

“Oh no!”

“It’s okay, though! Because the fair maiden, who was secretly kind of like a knight…or something, went to save her life.” And that’s how two weeks later Alex stumbled into a scene in Kara’s apartment she’d never wanted to see. But Amelia didn’t need to know about how her two moms reconnected. “But while they were busy, the evil queen had sent all of her soldiers into the kingdom to take over. Luckily, that beautiful lady from the beginning with the perfect smile? Well, she was kind of like a knight too, and so she got her sword and kept dozens of the evil soldiers away so that the innocent people could escape.”

“Did she get hurt?”

“Nope. Want to know why?”

“Why?”

Leaning forward, Alex lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Because she knew that the lady she loved was waiting for her on the other side of the kingdom.”

“Who’s that lady?”

“She was one of the soldiers who was working with the queen and the fair maiden.”

“Oh! Are all the soldiers girls in the good kingdom?”

“Not all of them, but the best ones,” Alex answered with a wink. “But things seemed really bad for a while. The queen had lost her castle, and she was forced to wait in a dark little tavern with some of her best soldiers and the knight and the fair maiden while they came up with a plan to reclaim the kingdom from the bad guys.” Alex’s brow furrowed for a moment as she tried to find the right analogy for a positron cannon. “They found out about a big… sword. A sword that could make all the bad guys run away.”

“Where was the sword?”

“It was hidden away in a fortress that had been taken over by the bad guys. But luckily the beautiful knight and her soldier found a way to sneak in to get it. Only then the fair maiden cried out for everyone to stop.”

“Why?”

“Because she found out that the evil queen had the prince and one of the good kingdom’s, uh, magicians with her. And if they used the sword, they would disappear forever too.”

“Hold on.” One of Amelia’s hands landed on top of Alex’s, stopping her gesticulating. “Isn’t the prince evil too?”

Considering her words carefully, Alex explained: “Well, the fair maiden has a really, really big heart. That’s why everyone loves her. And she told everyone that there was good in the prince too, even if it was buried deep, deep down. Plus, the magician was one of her best friends in the whole wide world.”

“Ohh. I wouldn’t want to hurt my best friend either.” She nodded her head with a level of self-certainty that was so reminiscent of Cat that Alex had to stifle a laugh.

“Probably a good idea. So instead the fair maiden put herself in grave danger to go rescue the prince and the magician. She almost didn’t make it, but at the last minute, with some help from those people who loved her so much, she managed.”

“And then she used the big sword?”

Rubbing at the back of her neck, Alex ducked her head. “The big sword sort of disappeared. It was a little like magic, so it only worked for a certain period of time.”

Amelia clambered further into Alex’s lap. “Oh no! What happened to the good kingdom?”

“The queen urged all of her people to keep hoping, to fight back and make sure the evil soldiers knew that the people weren’t going to back down so easily. Everyone was still very scared, though, because they didn’t know how they were going to win when the evil soldiers were so much stronger than almost everyone but the fair maiden. So for a long while there was a lot of fighting, and many people were hurt, but the queen kept faith alive while the fair maiden worked with the magician to come up with a potion that was fine for everyone in the good kingdom but made everyone from the evil kingdom very sick.”

“What about the prince?”

“Him too. So he thanked the fair maiden for her help, but then he left to go try to make the evil kingdom better.”

“Did it work?”

Figuring a partial lie was better here Alex shrugged her shoulders. “The good kingdom never heard from them ever again, but don’t you believe that people can work to change things for the better?”

After a moment, Amelia nodded enthusiastically. “Mom says that we need to make sure everyone knows the truth.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“What happened to the kingdom? Was everyone okay?”

“Well, it took a lot of time and teamwork to rebuild the kingdom. Lots of buildings had fallen down, and the paths between cities had been cut off. But everyone came together to help make the kingdom the wonderful place it was, and the queen even returned to her castle for good after a long trip away.”

“Where did she go?”

“All sorts of places. She visited so many of the other kingdoms and made friends with the rulers of a lot of places. But when the evil kingdom attacked, she realized that she needed to be back at her home with the people who loved her. In fact, lots of people realized how important love was after the battle. Soon enough, the beautiful, brave knight married the soldier, and the queen married the fair maiden, and everyone lived happily ever after.”

Amelia paused to consider it. “That was better than lotsa fairytales. Not as good as Frog and Toad, but maybe if you made it a book it would be.”

“Oh yeah?”

Amelia nodded. “Carter can draw the pictures for you. He ill’strates all my stories. Did you know he did that?” She pointed at her colorful bookcases.

“I did. And did you know your Mommy is also a very good artist?”

“Duh.”

Alex fixed her with a stern look; she’d been put on strict orders not to let Amelia keep up the sassiness that had started to rear its head. Alex had arched an eyebrow at the instructions, insisting that she had no idea where Amelia could  _possibly_  have learned sass from, earning herself a patented eye roll from Cat.

“Sorry.” The word was stretched out into many, long syllables. “Yes, I already knew that.”

“Maybe one day we could all work together on drawing the story.”

“Tonight?” Amelia asked, eyes shining with excitement.

“It’s almost bedtime, and your moms are gonna be out late for Carter’s celebration dinner”—he’d managed to earn acceptance letters from 6 of the 8 colleges he’d applied to, plus a scholarship or two to boot—“but maybe you and I could try to draw one scene before bed. How’s that sound?”

“Can we draw the good queen against the evil queen?”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”


	7. Dance (T)

Kara watched as Cat stalked about the apartment, redusting the end table, even though they’d had the cleaner come by only yesterday, and straightening the already level picture frames, and smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles from her blouse. After her third pass over the shelves, Kara reached out to still Cat’s hands, pulling them into her own. “You know it’s all going to be fine, don’t you?”

“You have no way of knowing that. Teenagers do all sorts of reckless things when they’re together.”

“Yeah,” Kara conceded, trying to keep her voice soft and conciliatory, “but it’s Carter, who is every bit your son.”

Cat snorted. “I don’t think that’s the comfort you want it to be, dear. I was no saint in high school.” Not that she’d been terrible—no, she’d known better than to risk her chance at getting into a good college and getting as far away from her mother as she could—but she’d certainly done things she’d never want to think about Carter doing.

“Maybe, but I more meant that he’s had you as his mom, Cat. Plus,” she added with a shrug of her shoulders, “he met Chiara in Science Olympiad. I don’t really see them getting into a lot of trouble.”

“Plenty of smart people do incredibly stupid things. You’re some sort of intergalactic prodigy, but I know for a fact that you and that M.D. Ph.D. sister of yours have spent a lot of time taunting fate just for fun.”

“You caught Alex jumping off CatCo’s roof one time.”

“It’s a skyscraper!”

“One time!”

“One time that I know about.”

“Yet Alex is still alive and well, isn’t she?”

“By sheer dumb luck.”

Kara grinned. “Did you and Carter do a Harry Potter marathon while I was gone last weekend?”

With a little sniff, Cat shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe.”

Loud footsteps echoing down the hall drew their attention back to Carter as he made his way towards them, his bowtie hanging untied around his neck. “I can’t get this even,” he grumbled. “I was totally fine all week practicing, but now—”

“Let me.” Looking on much surer ground now that she had a job to do, something to fix, Cat stepped forward and reached for the two loose ends, pulling them down to the proper length. She tried to keep her attention focused entirely on the task at hand; it wouldn’t do to go tearing up now when she’d have to go and fix her eye makeup before Chiara and her mother got there.

Sneaking her phone out of her pocket, Kara managed to capture a few candid shots before either of them noticed, and when Carter first spotted the phone, he merely rolled his eyes but stayed silent as she took one more before Cat stepped back to check her work.

“Perfectly even.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Carter smoothed his hands down the front of his jacket, fidgeting and rocking up onto the balls of his feet when he realized he was now ready with nothing left to keep his attention away from the night at hand.

“You look very handsome, Carter,” Kara said as she wrapped an arm around Cat’s back, feeling every bit the part of the proud parent. The fact that, being Cat Grant’s son, Carter already owned a tailored tuxedo instead of renting one that inevitably ended up being far too baggy in some way didn’t hurt either. “Now how about a nice photo of you and your mom before Chiara gets here?”

“As if you didn’t just take a dozen,” Cat murmured, though she dutifully obliged and went to wrap her arm around Carter, who dwarfed her even with the four-inch heels.

Within a few minutes, the doorman rang to let Cat know that her guests were on the way up, and Kara watched as Carter’s face paled, his eyes growing wide with nerves. Before Cat could step forward, Kara put a hand on her shoulder. “Can I?” Even after several years of marriage and parenting, she was still wary of inadvertently stealing big moments from Cat, no matter how many times Cat insisted that they were co-parents, that Carter thought of Kara as his second mother—far more of own than his birth father, that was for sure. “I know a thing or two about nerves before a first date with a gorgeous woman,” she added with a wink.

It earned her an eye roll and shooing motion of Cat’s hand as she was sent over to Carter.

“Hey, bud, you excited?”

“I guess. And terrified. Maybe I shouldn’t do this.”

“Hey, hey, you’ve ended up having lots of fun doing some of those things that scared you before, right?”

He shrugged.

“What scares you so much about this?”

He worried his lower lip between his teeth before answering. “What if I screw it all up?”

“You two were good friends before this, right?”

“Mhmm.”

“You’re enough of a gentleman that I’m absolutely positive that the worst thing that could happen tonight, even if everything goes wrong, is that you guys go back to being friends. Would that be so bad?”

“No! I don’t—I mean, obviously she doesn’t have to date me or anything.” Kara couldn’t hide the proud smile, but Carter was far too in his own head to even notice. “I just, I want her to have fun. And sometimes I’m not the most fun person, you know? And Mom has always said that it’s okay to be the responsible one, but what if she’d rather have gone with someone better?”

“Carter, she agreed to go with you. You two have been friends for years, and she still said yes when you asked. Don’t you think she knows who she’s going to prom with?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he ducked his head. “I guess when you put it like that…”

“Plus, I think your mom would kill me if I didn’t remind you that not all fun has to be irresponsible and that you shouldn’t do something that makes you uncomfortable to impress someone.”

With a loud huff, Carter fixed Kara with a look that was all Cat. “I know that.” And suddenly he was a teenager all over again.

When the knock on the door came, Carter pulled himself up to his full height and grabbed the corsage as Cat answered the door, welcoming Chiara and her mother in.

Kara gave Carter’s shoulder one last squeeze before moving to Cat’s side, catching the tail end of Chiara’s mother’s thanks to Cat for hosting when it became clear that the construction on their house wasn’t going to be finished before June. As the adults exchanged pleasantries, Carter and Chiara took the opportunity to talk without the incessant flashes of cameras or the hovering of constant adult supervision.

Of course, the freedom could only last so long, and soon they were being filmed and photographed from every angle as they slipped on corsages and pinned boutonnieres and stood in stilted, awkward poses looking increasingly pink and embarrassed with every cooed, “So cute!” from Chiara’s mom.

After what Carter was certain had been a short eternity, Cat’s driver called up to let them know that he was ready whenever they are. So with two more photos, kisses to cheeks, and promises to be safe, the whole group finally made their way downstairs and sent Carter and Chiara off with Jared, who was under strict orders to call if anything went even slightly wrong.

Soon enough, Kara and Cat were back up in the now empty apartment.

“Do you think he’s okay? Perhaps I should call Jared just to—”

“Cat,” Kara cut in. “Did I tell you that I didn’t do the whole big prom date thing?”

Cat scoffed. “Please, you had half of CatCo lined up around the block to date you.”

“Not back then. You break one toe during a small dance your sophomore year and suddenly…” Some of the tension bled out of Cat’s frame as she smirked, thinking back to some of Kara’s clumsier moments during her first year as Cat’s assistant.

“I didn’t go to my senior prom at all.”

Kara nearly dropped the empty corsage box she was taking to recycling at that. “What?”

With an attempt at nonchalance, Cat shrugged. “I’d gotten into a bit of trouble at school that month, so my mother grounded me.”

“How much trouble could you have gotten into?”

“Apparently it’s frowned upon to sleep with the headmaster’s daughter.”

“No! How am I just now hearing about this?”

“I wouldn’t want to bore you with ancient history.”

Kara scoffed. “Oh please, you know I’d listen to you talk for days on end.”

“Yes, you came very near to it as my assistant.”

“Not the same.”

When Cat’s eyes dipped back to her phone screen, her fingers hovering over Jared’s name in her recent calls, Kara swooped in, gently trying to pry the device out of her hands. “Did you know that we have the whole place to ourselves for hours?”

“I suppose…”

“Do you know what we could get up to for hours?”

“I should really keep my phone nearby in case—” Cat’s words faltered as Kara’s mouth dropped to her neck, one hand moving to Cat’s lower back to steady her.

“I promise to listen for the phone,” Kara whispered between heated kisses that were slowly moving down towards Cat’s chest. “Now let’s enjoy our own night, okay?”

But Kara had just undone Cat’s top two buttons and slipped her hand into Cat’s bra, so the only answer she got was a breathy sigh and a nod of Cat’s head as she released her grip on the phone.


	8. Proposal (for a Staged Kidnapping) (T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Credit (and thanks) to @randomthingsthatilike123 for the delightful premise!!

Kara wakes up to a text from Alex, sent at 1:38am, with nothing but a link and the words: “Duddeeee you could 100% do this! $500 but i grt some too.”

More than a little wary, Kara clicks on the link anyway, finding herself at a Craigslist page with one of the odder posts she’s ever seen:

“Woman with less-than-pleasant mother in town looking to hire a fake kidnapper. I will not allow weapons in my home, so you’ll need to be strong enough to make it quick and realistic. I don’t tolerate incompetence, so there will be an interview, and you should come with a plan in mind. Pay is $500 upon successful completion of my fake kidnapping.” 

Normally Kara wouldn’t even think about it, but she still has to pay for that stupid espresso machine she broke when she got a little distracted by Cat freaking Grant stepping foot into Noonan’s and acknowledging her existence, even if it was only to order a latte. Five-hundred bucks would go a long way in cutting down that debt while she’s still looking for a full-time post-grad job… She’d like to think that some of the interviews she has lined up for the following week might finally pan out, but she doesn’t want to count on them.

On a whim, she sends an email inquiry.

“Good morning! 

I hope your day is going well! I’m writing in response to your Craigslist ad to see if you were still looking for someone to help you out. If you are, I’d be happy to meet with you for the interview.

Best,

Kara”

Her phone chirps with a response mere moments later. 

“Meet me at Noonan’s today at 12:15. Don’t be late.

-C”

Well, at least she’ll already be there for work. And it shouldn’t take longer than her half-hour lunch break.

Save for a moment of panic about this interview somehow being a sting operation by the police to catch kidnapper wannabes, Kara barely thinks about her interview until noon, when she finishes the last few orders before clocking out for her break. She debates grabbing a coffee for her Craigslist stranger, but she doesn’t want to look like a suck up, at least not before she knows if the person is a total creep. 

Grabbing an empty table along the wall with the big windows that look out onto the street, Kara sinks into her chair and watches the people strolling by. She’s half-tempted to go chase after some jerk in a suit who she spots knocking squarely into a woman’s side without so much as an apology, but then she sees Cat Grant strolling down the sidewalk in a tight blue dress, and her mind goes a bit blank. For a moment, she debates the merits of skipping the interview to go jump behind the counter when Cat strides through the door, but she forces herself to play it cool and contents herself with smiling dopily in Cat’s general direction. At least until the woman in question turns her gaze back onto Kara, who straightens instinctively. But Cat’s gaze doesn’t stay on her, sweeping across all the tables before coming back to rest on Kara. 

Cat narrows her eyes, then walks straight to the empty seat. “Are you my 12:15?”

“Um, are you looking for a kidnapper?” 

There’s a beat of silence, as Kara blushes a faint shade of pink, and Cat regards her, drumming her fingers against her thigh. Then Cat lets out a quiet snort of laughter and sinks into the chair, far more graceful than anyone has any right to be. 

“Alright, Kiera, was it?”

“Kara,” Kara tries to correct, but Cat’s already moving full speed ahead. 

“Why should I possibly think you can fulfill the requirements needed for this job? You don’t exactly look the part.” Cat gestures up and down along Kara’s lanky frame, clad in skinny jeans and the long-sleeved white Noonan’s shirt that smells permanently of coffee and cleaner. 

“I’m stronger than I look. Also, you know where I work”—she gestures around them and at her Noonan’s shirt—“so you can tell someone in advance to make sure I can’t, I don’t know, actually kidnap you or something.”

Cat waves off the thought with a dismissive flick of her wrist. “You wouldn’t get that far, trust me. Now what’s your plan?”

“Well, I have a few”—that’s a lie, but she figures having a Kryptonian general who was renowned for her strategizing in the gene pool has to count for something—“but first I wanted to ask about where I’d be kidnapping you from. The same plan won’t work for every location.”

Cat almost looks pleased by the answer. “We’ll be in my penthouse. I’ll survive the public appearances on my own, but I cannot deal with her for more than half an hour when she’ll have free reign to say as she pleases.” 

“Alright, well, I could either already be in the apartment when she arrives and bide my time, or I could break in, or I could rappel up to the roof, or the balcony if you have one, then it’ll be all set up for our escape.”

“You think I’m going to let you throw us off the edge of a building?”

“I promise, I’m stronger than I look.”

“It’s all well and good to say that now, Kiera, but I won’t have you realizing that reality is much harder than fantasy when we’re 40 stories up.” 

Kara can’t help but giggle at the idea that Cat’s diminutive frame could ever be a burden to her. Cat scowls in response. “Okay, I imagine you don’t want a demonstration in the middle of a crowded coffee shop, but if you’re that concerned, I can show you right back there.” 

Cat’s eyes narrow. “If I’m about to be punk’d…”

“Don’t worry, Ashton’s been off air for years.” 

“Fine. But only because I’m curious.” 

Kara leads Cat out to the small employee parking lot around back, then turns to her and holds out her arms. “Okay, jump.”

“I don’t jump. And that’s not how one gets kidna—” Her words turn into a gasp as Kara, without warning, scoops Cat up with only one arm and takes a flying leap to grab hold of the tall fence that runs along the lot’s perimeter with her free hand.

“Proof enough?”

“I”—Cat swallows heavily, the bob of her throat visible, and then licks her lips—“yes, I suppose so.”

Kara jumps off the fence and carefully lowers Cat back to the ground. It isn’t until she sees Cat eyeing her arms that she realizes that she’d just held Cat. Cat Grant. In her bare hands. In that dress. And now Cat’s pupils are blown, and her breathing is shallow, and she’s looking at Kara like maybe she might have enjoyed the experience too.

Kara almost misses Cat’s next words as Cat straightens up, rolling back her shoulders and smoothing out her dress. “I’ll need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement before we do this.”

“Um, yeah, sure. But, uh, Ms. Grant?”

“You’ve already manhandled me and are planning to kidnap me this weekend. I think you can call me Cat.”

“Right. Cat.” She loves the way it sounds and wants to say it a dozen more times. “Aren’t you a little worried that your mom might, you know, go to the media? You’re kind of a big deal.” 

But Cat shakes her head. “Not a chance. I can hear her now: ‘Oh Kitty, I simply couldn’t call. You don’t understand what that sort of sordid publicity might do to my reputation. It isn’t like your little television world.’”

Kara’s eyebrows knit together. Her general policy is to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but this woman sounds pretty awful. “Oh, okay.”

“I’ll need your address to send you the non-disclosure agreement, then you’ll receive your payment after Saturday night when all this is through.”

Kara recites her address, her head still reeling at the speed with which all of this is happening. “I…on Saturday, where do I go?” 

“It’ll be in the paperwork once you’ve signed the agreement.”

“Okay, but did you want me to be in the apartment or to break in or to come through the windows?”

Cat tilts her head from one side to the other before focusing on Kara, a slight smile on her lips. “Surprise me. It’ll feel more authentic.” 

\---

By the time Saturday night rolls around, Kara has signed her paperwork, gotten Cat’s address, and listened as Alex guffawed at the news that Kara had actually gone and applied for the kidnapper job. At least Alex had offered to get her rappelling equipment and show her how to use it—not that it needs to actually work when she can fly, but she’s under strict orders not to let Cat even think she might have superpowers, unless she wants to have her face plastered on the front page of every CatCo news site. Kara doesn’t really think Cat would do that, at least not to the person she’s hired to be a fake kidnapper, but she’s happy enough to keep the charade of her Earthly origins going. 

“How do I look?” Kara asks, spinning around, clad in a plain white shirt and tight jeans with a belt secure enough to hook her line to, paired with decent black sneakers so she’ll blend right in once she’s back on the street. She’s got a black ski mask tucked in her back pocket for the moment of the kidnapping, and the rappelling gear is already stowed on Cat’s balcony ready for their exit. 

“Like you’re ready for your next shift at Noonan’s.” 

“Perfect.” Kara flashes Alex a nervous smile. “Wish me luck!”

“You’ll need it.”

“Not really the boost of confidence I wanted, Alex.”

“Yeah, yeah, go knock ’em dead. But not really,” she says in a tone of mock seriousness, laughing at Kara’s frown. “It’s all pretend—don’t forget!”

Kara rolls her eyes as she heads for the door. 

All too soon, she’s in front of Cat’s building. She pops her earphones in and waits until another resident heads inside, slipping in quietly behind him, bobbing her head slightly to fake music as she jingles her keys, as if any of them might unlock a door in this building. When the doorman gives her an odd look, she pops her headphones out and sidles up to the thirty-something guy she’d followed, flashing him a flirty grin. “Hey!”

Despite looking a bit flustered, he recovers quickly. “Hey there.” 

The doorman returns his attention to the paper in front of him, and Kara manages a bit of small talk until they reach the elevator, chattering fast enough to keep him from possibly asking her out or anything like that. Luckily, he gets off at an early floor, and Kara spends the last 22 floors readying herself. 

Once the elevator reaches the second-highest floor, she gets out and takes the stairs. There are only a couple of apartments on the top floor, and no one is out in the hallway as Kara pulls out the pin Alex had given her for the lock. She makes a note to thank Alex for her teenage obsession with learning how to pick locks, if only for the ease with which the door clicks open. 

Kara gazes through the walls, finds that Cat and her mother are back in the dining room. Cat’s arms are crossed and her brow furrowed, and her mother is barely looking at her. Without a sound, Kara slips in, carefully closing the door behind her. She hovers an inch off the ground as she moves through the apartment, sticking to the walls and blind spots from the dining room. She checks her watch. 7:25. Technically there are five minutes left until the time Cat had wanted her to intervene. But she hears Cat’s mother making snide comments about Carter, who she knows from interviews is Cat’s kid, even though she’s done a fairly remarkable job at keeping him out of the press. Kara swears she can feel the tension in the apartment ratcheting up several hundred degrees and figures Cat won’t mind her being a bit early. 

With a deep breath, Kara pulls her face mask down and jumps into action, swooping in with the faintest hint of superspeed before grabbing Cat in her arms and running for the balcony doors. She’s hooked her rope around the balcony railing before Cat’s mom has quite realized what has happened, and she’s clipped in and over the side of the balcony by the time she’s moving. 

Cat buries her head in Kara’s neck during their quick—though not quite gravity quick—descent, and Kara thinks she might not have noticed if they hadn’t used the rope at all. When they hit the ground, Kara whisks Cat into an alley where she’d stashed an extra 2 sweatshirts. 

“Thought of everything, did you?” Cat’s expression is haughty, even though she’s still breathless, her voice wavering slightly. 

“Can’t have you getting spotted right away. Otherwise you might have to finish that terrible dinner.”

“Yes, well, I can call my driver.” She’s already pulling her phone out and dragging up her list of contacts as she speaks. “You’ll get your check as promised.”

“If that’s what you want. But I thought maybe you could use a night off…you know, not being Cat Grant for a change.”

“And why would you assume that?”

Kara shrugs. “I don’t like to be mean, but you just dealt with a woman who seems like a real piece of work.”

“Hardly mean compared to some of the things I’ve said about her, but continue.”

“You’re supposed to be kidnapped, right? So take a couple hours off from work and responsibilities. Have a little fun.”

Cat still has her phone out, but she’s lowered it slightly, which Kara counts as a win. “And where do you propose we go?”

“Well, we can’t get you spotted on camera, but there’s this little Italian place with the best lasagna I’ve ever had a few blocks away from my apartment.”

Cat arches an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we go back to your apartment for a night of irresponsible fun?”

The implication sends Kara’s brain reeling. “What? I—I, I mean—”

“Brazen…” Cat eyes Kara appraisingly, and if Kara flexes a bit, well, who’s to say? “It’s a decent look on you.”

Kara’s squeak is audible, but Cat is kind enough to ignore it, save for a smirk of amusement. 

After waiting a full three seconds, Cat huffs. “I don’t know where this little hole in the wall is.”

“Right!”

The next hour passes by in a haze, and Kara can hardly believe any of it is real. Somehow, in the course of an evening, she’s fake kidnapped Cat Grant, flown her down from her penthouse, taken her to Antonio’s where she’d insisted on ordering a salad, though she acquiesced when Kara offered to buy an extra cannoli for her, and brought her up to the apartment, where they’re now seated, surrounded by mostly empty takeout boxes (mostly thanks to Kara). Cat had even let Kara give her a bite of the lasagna when she pleased with Cat to try it and moaned around the mouthful, smirking like she knew exactly what she was doing when Kara’s fork clattered to the table. 

By the time Kara pulls out the cannoli, she’s stunned to realize all of her earlier nerves are gone. She’s sitting with Cat, sharing a meal that feels an awful lot like a date—and a good one at that—trading stories, laughing easily, and she can’t help feeling wistful before the evening has even ended, wishing that it would be more than a one-time thing. 

Over dessert, Cat texts her mother to let her know that she’s safe but dealing with the aftermath, frowning down at her phone as it beeps back at her. 

“You okay?” Kara asks, spotting the crease between Cat’s brows.

“Just fine.”

“Okay… If you want to talk, though, I’m here.”

“Mentally preparing myself for the three hours my mother and I will spend together tomorrow morning before she gets back on her broomstick for Metropolis.”

Kara can’t help the snort of laughter. “C’mon, let’s get your mind off of it.”

Cat leans forward, placing her phone down on the table and letting her gaze linger on Kara. “And what exactly are you suggesting?”

Not for the first time, Kara wishes she had some sort of machine to tell her when things were genuinely flirty or simply suggestive teasing. Humans are so hard; it makes her miss the clear traditions of Krypton where courting was something one announced with clear intentions instead of subtle hints and easily missed (or misread) innuendo. “Well…we could go somewhere now that you’re technically free. Or I have plenty of movies. Or boardgames.”

The openness of earlier evaporates in an instant. “Perhaps I should head home.”

“No!”

Cat crosses her arms, and Kara shifts in her chair. “Why not?”

“I mean you can. Obviously. You’re not really kidnapped. But I’m having a nice night, and well, I’m not ready for it to end.”

“Surely you could be having a better time out at some club with your friends.”

“Not really my scene, Cat. Besides”—she takes a deep breath, letting a bit of that Kryptonian nobility bleed back into her posture and tone—“I’m right where I want to be.”

Kara can hear the way Cat’s heart speeds up slightly at that. It goes a little faster still when Kara offers her hand and guides Cat over to the couch. “We could watch a movie, or…” Kara wets her lips, watching as Cat’s eyes track her tongue’s every movement. She leans in slightly, hearing the hitch in Cat’s breathing. “Tell me I’m not misreading things.”

Cat answers with a kiss, her lips so impossibly soft, everything gentle, warming Kara from somewhere deep inside of her. Soon enough, though, that warmth erupts into a scorching heat that licks at Kara’s skin, driving her half mad with want. Then Cat’s hands are fisting in Kara’s shirt, and Kara lets herself be dragged forward, pushes past the awkwardness when she bumps her nose against Cat’s as they work their way towards a rhythm. Before she quite realizes it, she’s in Cat’s lap, knees settled on either side of Cat’s thighs, hips rolling forward without much conscious thought, Cat’s hands slipping under her shirt, blunt nails raking up and down her back. 

As Kara’s mouth moves down Cat’s neck, Cat lets out soft moans that make Kara want to pick her up and carry her straight to the bedroom to see how many other noises she can coax out of her before the night is through. But then Cat’s phone is ringing, and she’s pulling herself up, less than gently pushing Kara off of her. 

“Hello?” Cat’s whole demeanor shifts in an instant, her features softening slightly as she turns her back to Kara. “Are you okay, darling?”

Kara tries not to listen in, distracts herself by tidying up the pillows that had fallen off the couch. 

A few minutes later, Cat appears back at her side. “I hate to cut this short, but I need to go. Carter’s father…” Cat shakes her head, pursing her lips in frustration. “It’s a long story, but my son is coming home early this weekend.”

“Of course. Do you need a ride or anything?”

“No, my driver will be here in a few minutes.” 

“Okay.” Kara rocks up onto the balls of her feet, wondering where they stand now. 

As if sensing Kara’s hesitation, Cat steps forward and pulls Kara into a heated kiss that leaves her wanting more. “This week promises to be hellish, but perhaps we can finish this next weekend? If you’re interested.”

“Very,” Kara says, leaning in to claim Cat’s lips one last time. 

“Carter’s nanny will already be over on Saturday evening for an event I have to attend. If you don’t mind the late night, I could try to slip out early.” 

Kara doesn’t admit that she’d make time literally whenever Cat could find an opening in her schedule. Instead she nods and says, “Sounds perfect.”

Cat checks her phone and starts heading for the door. “I’ll call you to confirm later this week.”

Kara’s already counting down the days. 

\---

After two long days of interviews, Kara’s exhausted. Some went well. Two were awful—one because of her, the other because of her interviewer. But there’s only one left at CatCo, of all places. Some executive assistant listing that hadn’t included much information when she applied, outside of the same vague job duties that got listed with all of them. Really, assistant isn’t her ideal position, but she’s hoping maybe it’ll put her in contact with some of the people from other divisions. She’d worked at her college newspaper, as well as having dabbled in some design work that she thinks could come in handy depending on the department. 

So it’s a bit of a shock when she’s shepherded straight through the bullpen and back to Cat’s personal office, listening as she fires her assistant and calls for her 10:15, which, Kara realizes with a jolt, is her. 

“Yes,” Cat sighs before even looking up from her computer screen. 

“Cat?”

That gets her attention. 

There’s a beat where Cat’s features reflect genuine surprise, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening. In an instant, it’s all smoothed over. Cat leans back in her chair and pulls up Kara’s resume, which looks untouched. “So, Ms. Danvers, one interview wasn’t enough for you?”

Kara shrugs. “What can I say? I thought we made a good team.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Twitter and Tumblr @sapphicscholar
> 
> There will be some fics that don't make it over to AO3 if they're really short or if it's the only fic I had about a given pairing - so there's a Cat/Olivia Marsdin and a Lucy/Alura over there that probably won't migrate here if you want to read them!


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